Three Stars
The three stars in ice hockey are the three best players in a game, with the “first star” considered the best of the three players, similar to the player of the match in other sports. Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games.
First ⭐️
Zach LaVine scored a season-high 43 points, 17 of them coming in the fourth quarter, to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 127-117 victory over the Detroit Pistons. LaVine shot 16-28 from the field, hitting eight of his 11 attempts from 3-point range. He also contributed four assists and one steal, committing just one turnover in a game-high 45 minutes played.
Second ⭐️
Domantas Sabonis recorded his 10th triple-double of the season, scoring 19 points to go with game highs of 15 rebounds and 10 assists in the Kings’ win over the Pistons. Sabonis went 7-11 from the floor and sank all five of his free throw attempts. He also blocked one shot in 35 minutes of playing time.
Third ⭐️
Cade Cunningham scored a team-high 35 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Pistons fell to the Kings. Cunningham shot 13-21 from the field and 8-11 from the free throw line. He also dished out five assists and swiped two steals in 33 minutes of action.
Milestones
As noted above, Sabonis recorded his 10th triple-double of the season, giving him 50 over the last three seasons. The only other players in NBA history to produce at least 50 triple-doubles over a three-season span are Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, Russell Westbrook, and Nikola Jokic.
The Pistons’ Malik Beasley (4-14 on 3-pointers) increased his season total to 305 threes made, moving into seventh place on the NBA’s single-season list. The only players to hit more triples in a season are Stephen Curry (five times) and James Harden.
The Detroit Pistons (13-39 on threes) set a franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a season with 1,003, surpassing the previous mark of 993 established in 2018-19. Beasley has led the way with his franchise-record 305 triples.
The Miami Heat (16-36 on threes) broke the franchise record for most 3-pointers attempted in a season in a 117-105 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. The Heat have launched 2,950 shots from beyond the arc, eclipsing their 2,936 attempts in the 2021-22 season.
Streaking
Beasley has made multiple 3-pointers in each of his last 28 games, the longest such streak in franchise history (by five games) and tied for the 13th-longest such streak in NBA history.
Team(s) with a losing streak of five or more games: Philadelphia 76ers (12).
The Pistons have scored at least 100 points in 33 straight regular season games, the franchise’s longest such streak since a 43-game run from March 18 to Dec. 17, 1985.
Miscellany
LaVine was the night’s leading scorer, netting a season-high 43 points. He was followed by the Kings’ DeMar DeRozan with 37; Cunningham with 35; and the Sixers’ Quentin Grimes and Lonnie Walker IV with 29 each (a season high for Walker IV).
The Heat’s Kel’el Ware was the top rebounder last night, snagging a career-high 17 boards. Also recording double-digit rebounds were Sabonis with 15, the Kings’ Jonas Valanciunas with 12, the Sixers’ Adem Bona with 11, and the Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart with 10.
Sabonis was the nightly leader in assists, handing out 10 dimes. The Heat’s Davion Mitchell placed second with nine helpers.
The Philadelphia 76ers have lost 27 of their last 30 games (including the last 12 in a row), tying the New Orleans Pelicans for the worst 30-game stretch in the NBA this season. They have been outscored by an average of 10.8 PPG over that span.